By Eric Bradford
You can lose stubborn pounds.
Remember how easy it was to lose the first 10 to 15 pounds? An old photo, glance from a relative or friend you hadn’t seen in awhile or a joke made at your expense by your child (little angel) or grandchild sparked your urge to drop weight. Right away, you hit the gym, jogging on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a time.
Fast weight loss
Within days, you added stair stepping, cycling and weight lifting to your regimen. Four weeks later, you’d dropped 10 or more pounds. Snug jeans were now loose. But, you’ve got a long way to go. If you’re a 50ish or 60ish executive or solopreneur, you could have a pound to lose for each year of your age.
Don’t worry. It happens. . . . to a lot of people. For women, an increase in estrogen production during the middle years can cause weight gain, according to Dr. C. W. Randolph. The Berkeley Lab (their findings are interesting) studied runners and discovered that there’s damn near nothing adults can do to stop the weight gain process after they hit the middle years, except . . .
Run more. But, who wants to do that?
To lose stubborn pounds, accept the fact that what’s happening to you has happened to millions of people. You’re not a bad person. You’re a normal person.
Focus on your diet (as in what you eat every day, not how little you can eat). Increase the amount of protein you eat and drink. Eggs, skinless chicken breast, salmon, light tuna, peanut butter, nuts and tofu are good protein sources. Cottage cheese, steak, quinoa, soy milk and pumpkin seeds are other good sources of protein.
Steps to lose stubborn pounds
By adding more protein to your diet, you could build muscle. It’s muscle that aids in weight loss. Which is a reason why you could lose stubborn pounds by pumping iron.
Another action step you could take to lose stubborn pounds is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat. This means eating less bread (including sandwiches with lean meat), pasta, cakes, pies, candy bars, etc.
Because you need vitamins to keep your body healthy, try to eat three to four servings of vegetables each day. You might not think so, but getting a good night of sleep also helps you lose stubborn pounds. Scientists and nutritionists are discovering this more.
Photo by lululemon athletica
Other ways to lose stubborn pounds include taking it easy. Stress causes inflammation (achy joints), fatigue and irritability, to name a few. To lose stubborn pounds, also:
- Eat a healthy breakfast/skip the bread (You’ve heard this how many times? Are you doing it?)
- Get up from your desk every hour and walk 100 or more yards
- Chew gum instead of snacking on junk
- Drink fresh water
- Go outside for a midday walk (this is also a great stress reliever)
- Walk, jog, swim, bike ride, etc. in the evening (try to do so at least two hours before you head to bed)
- Pack a healthy lunch and bring it to work with you
- Choose fresh food over processed food (these means you’ll be using the stove more than the microwave)
- Monitor or activity using a fitness tracker (i.e. Misfit, Fitbit, Garmin, Jawbone)
Be patient with yourself. Love yourself. Your worth is not measured on a scale. You’re awesome right now, just as you are! That’s not something to believe. It’s a fact!
Remember to lose stubborn pounds, you want to build muscle (protein is a muscle building friend). To stay limber, stretch, enjoy regular massages and bubble baths. Balance balls and stretch ropes are also good. Monitor your results and tweak your efforts, but don’t give up. So many have and you too can lose stubborn pounds.
You must be logged in to post a comment.